Paintball x3

Many players like the reliability and look of the Ego, but chose other markers instead as they were turned off by its loud bark when firing as compared to spool valve guns and many simply believe that spool valve guns are more accurate than those with a poppet valve like the Ego. Spool valve guns like the Matrix series manufactured by Dye and the Smart Parts Shocker or DLX Luxe have won many titles and the system is a proven one, if not historically less air efficient. For Planet Eclipse to have ventured into the land of spool valves means they have attempted to solve this problem and they claim to have done so with the release a spool valve marker able to do things others cannot, the Geo.

The Geo’s spool valve system is very simple, with very few o-rings and only one moving part, the extremely lightweight bolt. The operating system of the Geo is low, at just over 100psi. Beyond the new operating system and the look of the gun wrapped around it, much of the Geo is familiar to anyone with any experience with Planet Eclipse and its way of making paintball guns. The grip frame looks and operates very much like that of the Geo’s brother, the Ego9, with its LCD display with audio output, large trigger guard allowing for gloved fingers, a smooth, adjustable double blade trigger and on/off, purging bottle adapter at its bottom. Eclipse’s standard in-line vertical regulator sits at the front of the Geo and a low-rise, clamping vertical feed neck is atop the receiver, off-set slightly to prevent the last ball from bouncing back up into the feed neck to be chopped. The bolt can be removed quickly and without tools and the gun uses a single nine-volt battery. All major tournament firing modes are offered on the electronic board standard on the Geo.

The Geo performs extremely well on the field. Adding a 68 cubic inch, 4,500psi bottle and HALO hopper, the gun was still very small and light, easy to handle and drag around a paintball field all day. Velocity consistency was good, with shot to shot consistency in the ten foot per second range. This will likely tighten up once the gun and its regulator break in. The Geo’s accuracy is stellar, a testament to the spool valve system, as the gun delivered extremely tight and predictable shot groups at medium and long ranges, while at close range shots landed so close together that they resembled one large splat on the target. Players looking to pick off hoppers, heads, elbows or feet hanging out of bunkers should easily be able to do so, while putting a lane right where it needs to go to eliminate players running through is very easy. While the Geo did break one ball in its barrel during rapid-fire testing, this was quickly and easily cleaned and accuracy returned. Recoil, or kick, during firing is practically nonexistent.

Priced at the same level as the new Ego and roughly equal to its spool valve competition, Eclipse’s new Geo is an excellent paintball gun. Light, fast, simple and extremely accurate, players interested in an Eclipse gun due to their reputation for reliability and customer support but still desiring a spool valve marker now have no excuse but to give Eclipse a look.

Manufactured by Planet Eclipse

Website:  www.PlanetEclipse.com